Step By Step
by FandomShipsUnited
Summary: Jane, Maura, Frankie and Frost go to Crown, a modern club that Maura discovered and Frost already has a high opinion of.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one.

'Jane, you cannot go ballroom dancing when you don't even know the basic waltz.'

Maura sat on Jane's bed, trying for the second time that evening to convince Jane to let her teach her how to dance. Jane, who was searching through her wardrobe trying to find a suitable suit, turned around to face Maura.

'Awh, c'mon Maura! I'm not even gonna be dancing. This is an _undercover operation._Not a special edition of 'Come Dancing', featuring Boston police! I'm only there to get DNA from Graham Saunders. If he even turns up... You know, he'd best turn up after me being forced to wear that stupid dress,' Jane argued, glaring repulsively at the dress that was draped across the bed.

'There's nothing wrong with that dress. And besides, I'm coming with you to make sure nothing you do collect is contaminated,' Maura explained, ignoring Jane's pretend look of hurt. 'Me being there too will give you plenty of opportunity to dance.'

'I'm _not_ dancing. Like you said, I can't dance. And there's no way I can learn in one night. In case you hadn't noticed, we go undercover tomorrow,' Jane said with a smart look as she crossed her arms.

Maura sat looking at the dress for several moments, seemingly giving up on her argument. Then her eyes lit up again, and Jane practically read her mind. 'No,' she said, before Maura had even opened her mouth.

'But Jane, we have enough time!'

'No Maura, I'm a terrible dancer. You'd just laugh at me...'

'I would not. C'mon, it'll be fun!' Maura said eagerly, practically jumping off the bed and walking to the CD player. 'Now, what CDs do you have?'

'I don't,' Jane replied instinctively fast.

'You have a CD player but no CDs for it?' Maura asked, confusion evident in her voice as she continued to search for disks. Jane rolled her eyes and walked over to the shelf, pulling down a pile of disk cases. She tossed them lightly onto the bed. 'Here they are...'

Maura turned around and gave a goofy grin. 'You're agreeing to dance?' She asked as she looked at the selection. Without looking up for a reply she continued. 'Ooh, you like U2?'

Jane, who'd by now turned back to looking for a suit, smiled into the wardrobe and nodded her head. She then huffed as she closed the wardrobe doors and turned back around. 'I hate dresses,' she muttered.

'I know you do, but it's only one night Jane,' Maura replied rather carelessly as she turned to the CD player and put the disk in.

'Really Maura, it's eleven at night!' Jane yelled over 'Vertigo', which was now blaring across the room. As much as she tried, it was difficult to suppress a smile when she saw that Maura had started to nod her head to the music.

'Fine, fine. I'll turn it down a little. Now, what number is Beautiful Day?' Maura asked, her voice also raised.

Jane raised her eyebrows slightly. 'A little?' She repeated as she crossed the room and turned the volume down more herself. Now it was only background music. 'Maur, I don't especially want my neighbours calling the cops on me.'

'You are a cop.'

'Detective, actually.'

Maura pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Jane. 'You didn't answer my question, _detective_.'

Jane smirked slightly as she picked up the U2 CD case and flipped it over to look at the song list. 'Beautiful Day is song number three, _doctor_,' she sarcastically replied.

'Thank you. That wasn't so hard now, was it?' Maura rhetorically asked. Jane pulled a face at her and walked back to the bed, sat down on it, and grimaced at the dress now lying next to her.

'Ah ah ah! Unless you're about to finally try that dress on, which I highly doubt you are, come back over here and learn how to dance,' Maura ordered with her arms crossed. Jane looked at her, exasperated.

'Really?' Jane asked.

'Really, really. And we can do this the easy way or the hard way,' Maura added.

Jane let out a small chuckle at how determined her friend was.

After a few moments of silence and Jane still looking down at the dress Maura spoke up. 'I meant it when I said the easy way or the hard way, Jane.'

'Oh I _know_ you did.'

Maura gave her a blank look, waited another moment, and then walked over to stand in front of Jane. 'The hard way?'

'Ok, fine, you win! Please, teach me how to dance.' Jane sighed as she held her hands up.

Maura beamed and took Jane's hands in her own, pulling her back up from the bed. Jane sighed but went along with her friend. She stood back into the spacious area of her bedroom and looked at Maura with a stubborn frown on her face. Maura skipped the CD to the song the correct song, paused it, and turned to stand in front of Jane.

'Now the more standard and simple ballroom dance is most often referred to as the ten dances of international ballroom.'

'Of course you know that,' Jane chipped in.

Ignoring her, Maura pressed on. 'International ballroom dancing allows only closed dance positions, but as it's the most simple to learn and fairly popular, that's the one I'll teach you.'

'Closed dance positions?'

Taking one step closer, Maura lifted her left arm out and up on level to her shoulders, and wrapped her other around Jane's upper back. 'Like this.'

Jane swallowed hard and looked down at Maura. 'Couldn't we just Lindy Hop instead?' she muttered.

'I didn't know you could Lindy Hop!' Maura replied enthusiastically, her eyes shining again.

'Just, one dance at a time, ok?'

Looking only slightly put back, Maura looked from her still raised hand and then back to Jane. 'As I was saying… for a correct closed position, join your right hand with my left, and place your left around my back. Tomorrow night, just reverse everything,' Maura explained. Jane nodded and reluctantly did as Maura had directed. Although she had absolutely no intentions of dancing tomorrow night, she knew better than to try to resist Maura once she'd gotten an idea into her head.

'Now, the basic waltz doesn't really have any big stretches in it. So just try to follow my lead.'

'Maur, I'm not as fast a learner as you are,' Jane whined, but seeing the look on Maura's face she added, 'But, I guess I could give it a try...'

Maura beamed before continuing. 'Take one step back with your left foot, and then take your right back too but step to your right on it. Then bring your left foot to meet it.'

'…Is that it?'

'No, not quite. But let's try what we've got so far.'

Jane gave a small nod and put on her best concentration face.

'Ok, so it's back, side, step together,' Maura said, as she slowly started to lead Jane as she repeated the instructions. After a few rounds of repeating it, Maura's voice trailed off as she watched Jane become more confident with each step. Given the space they had they could only go around in circles, but it was still enough for them.

'You look so serious,' Maura chuckled. Jane realised and smiled a little as she stopped the routine.

'What's next then?'

'You're eager for someone who didn't want to learn,' Maura replied with light humour in her tone. 'After that it's just reversed again. So you do what I was doing and vice-versa,' she said simply.

'So it's just forwards, left, together instead of backwards, right, together?'

'Mm hmm.'

'Well that sounds easy enough.'

'Lead me then,' Maura challenged with a glint in her eye.

Jane cursed inwardly, but always being up for a challenge she slowly stepped forwards and continued the pattern.

'That's it!' Maura said encouragingly as she followed Jane's lead.

Jane started to speed up until they were dancing at what she thought was the standard pace. Her concentration face was back on as she went over the routine in her head. _Back, side, together. Forward, side, together_.

Jane continued to lead, now with slightly more force. Maura looked up at Jane, again smiling at both the confidence she was showing and her look of concentration. 'Jane…' she began.

'I'm dancing, Maur. I'm, I'm actually doing it. And I'm leading you!'

Maura beamed up at Jane and slowed down their dance until they'd completely stopped. Now they were simply stood together, still in the 'closed position'.

After a brief moment but what seemed more like a minute, Maura finally spoke up. 'Should we try it with the music now?'

Jane gave a hesitant nod, and Maura pulled away from her. Jane stayed where she was while Maura turned the volume of the CD player up slightly, pressed play, and then came back to stand with her.

'May I have this dance?' Maura asked with a smile playing on her lips. The smile was contagious, and Jane couldn't help but return it, even though it was accompanied with a small roll of her eyes.

'You may,' she replied, as she held her right hand up and lightly wrapped her left around Maura's back. Maura stepped into Jane's arms and brought their bodies flush together. Jane looked down at Maura and swallowed hard again, realising how close they were.

'Shall we then?' Maura asked, gently pushing forwards.

Jane let Maura lead and counted her steps carefully, as the song had a faster pace than what they'd just practiced with.

'One, two and a one, two and a…' Jane muttered to herself without realising.

Maura chuckled as she listened to Jane while leading the dance.

'Don't think. Let it be natural to you,' she almost whispered.

_One, two…one… _Jane's thoughts trailed off. She looked down and their eyes met.

That was when she lost her footing. Jane stumbled forwards into Maura, who quickly let go of Jane's hand and wrapped it around her neck to catch their fall.

'…Whoops…' Maura laughed once they were stable again. She still had both of her arms wrapped around Jane's neck as she looked up at her. Jane, who was now turning a deep shade of scarlet, looked down at Maura.

'My bad…' Jane whispered with an apologetic and almost nervous smile.

'It's ok, Jane. Really,' she replied with a dazzling smile.

Jane and Maura stayed like that for what seemed like minutes, with their arms wrapped around each other. Neither of them could really hear the song playing anymore, though it still wasn't quite finished. They simply looked at one another, before Jane finally glanced away and over Maura's shoulder at the digital clock.

'Maur, it's nearly midnight, and we've got a busy day tomorrow,' Jane said, her voice shaking slightly. Neither of them moved at first, though Maura nodded and looked down to the side. Then she looked back up at Jane and gave her a small smile before slowly pulling away. Jane let her arms fall down to her side as she watched Maura turn, straighten out the barely noticeable creases in her perfectly fitted skirt, and almost mechanically walk back to the CD player.

After a few moments of silence and Jane still not having moved, Maura turned back around from the CD player and looked down at the dress still lying on the bed. 'Would dancing and trying on a dress be too much for one night then?' she asked in a tone that told Jane she was only teasing.

'Don't push your luck.' Jane replied with a grin.

Maura smiled as she sat herself back down onto Jane's bed. Jane hung the dress up into the wardrobe before joining her.

'Thanks for teaching me how to waltz. Even if I don't ever need to know how to,' Jane said, trying to be stubborn.

Maura chuckled and lay down. 'You never know what could happen… I know you loved it really,' she chanced.

Jane looked at Maura, and knowing how much she liked dancing and passing on her knowledge, she nodded her head instead of replying with a sarcastic remark.

'Maybe 'loved' is a slight exaggeration, but it was a fun experience, I'll give you that.' Jane admitted as she lay down next to Maura. They lay in a comfortable silence before drifting off to some well deserved sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two. 

When Jane awoke the next morning she wanted to close her eyes and go straight back to sleep. Maura's internal alarm clock must have already gone off, as she was no longer lying next to her but Jane could hear the clink of cutlery in her apartment. Jane forced herself to get out of bed, and she slouched out of her bedroom. Maura, already dressed, was sat at the kitchen island finishing off some breakfast she'd made.

'Oh good, you're finally awake,' Maura greeted her.

'Good morning to you too,' Jane replied gruffly and sarcastically.

'Actually Jane, it's nearly afternoon. It's a good thing we both have the day off to prepare for tonight's undercover assignment.'

'Nearly afternoon? What time is it?'

'It's eleven-thirty.'

'Eleven-thirty, already?'

'Please stop repeating me,' Maura deadpanned. 'Anyway, I'm going to go home and start getting ready for later.'

'Ok… Here, I'll clean that up for you,' Jane said as she took the now empty plate from the island and put it into the dishwasher. Maura picked up her bag and walked to the door.

'Thanks for letting me stay, Jane. I'll see you later.'

'Yeah, yeah I'll pick you up around five-thirty tonight.'

Maura smiled and Jane politely saw her out of the apartment before returning to her bedroom. She looked around the room and her eyes came to rest on the wardrobe. 'Ugh…' she dramatically sighed as she walked over to it. She pulled out the dress and walked into the bathroom with it. After being sure to take an extra long shower, shave her legs twice and thoroughly wash her hair, she finally tried it on. The place that they were going to that evening wasn't posh, but it had standards. And high ones at that, so Jane had to make the effort to meet them. Maura was right; the dress wasn't all that bad. But for somebody who didn't usually wear them it was certainly a big change.

Twenty minutes of fussing and fiddling later, Jane stood in front of the mirror to examine how the dress looked on her. She looked over both of her shoulders and did a small twirl both ways. The black dress was fitted so it hugged Jane's slim, athletic figure. It stopped just above knee-level, and one triangular cut-out exposed the middle of her back. _It could be worse…_she thought to herself. After changing back into her comfortable and more preferable choice of clothing, consisting of yoga pants and a plain t-shirt, Jane spent the remainder of her afternoon watching the baseball game.

When five o' clock came around, Jane was once again in the black dress. It didn't take her long at all to get ready as she didn't do anything particularly special with her hair. Once Jane had found the only pair of heels she owned, she was ready to go. Fed up of waiting, she drove around to Maura's early. When the door opened, the sight that greeted Jane made her breath hitch.

Maura's hair was styled to perfection, her honey-brown waves seeming to glow. Her dress was black soft cotton but looked like silk, the halter neck exposing her shoulders and upper back. Like Jane's, it stopped at knee level and was fitted.

'You're early!' Maura nearly gasped. 'I'm not ready yet…'

'You already look like you're about to walk down a runway. What else could you possibly need to do now?' Jane asked incredulously as she walked inside.

'Choose heels for a start,' Maura stressed as she led Jane to her collection.

'Just close your eyes and point at a random shoebox,' Jane suggested.

After receiving a sharp glare from Maura, Jane sat down at the end of the bed behind her.

'Really Maura, you look amazing. So just choose a pair of heels so we can get going.' Jane smiled. Maura fought the smile that was prying at her lips and ignored the fleeting sensation in the pit of her stomach.

'Fine,' she sighed. 'Are Frost and Korsak meeting us there?'

Jane nodded even though Maura couldn't see her. 'Yeah, but once we've got our headsets on we won't be meeting up with them again until later,' she explained.

Maura knelt down and pulled out an average sized shoebox. 'These ones will do…' she muttered to herself. 'Your heels are a good size, Jane. Not too high for dancing in.'

Jane rolled her eyes, her stubbornness coming back into play. 'Learning to waltz in my apartment is one thing. Waltzing around other people is something completely different.'

'You picked it up really quickly though, and I know you liked learning just as much as I enjoyed teaching you,' Maura almost whispered as she slipped on the heels.

Jane didn't answer, she simply listened and gave a small smile in response.

'Do you want to get going now? Frost and Korsak will be there waiting for us,' Jane asked. Maura nodded and looked in the mirror one last time, before being pulled out of her house by Jane. Once they'd got into the car and they were there before they knew it. Jane switched the engine off once she'd parked and then glanced at Maura.

'It's beautiful,' Maura concluded as she looked through the front window at the marble pillars and steps leading to the entrance of the ballroom theatre. Jane smiled and got out of the car, as a parked, white van flashed it's headlights at them.

Jane and Maura walked towards the van as Korsak, Frost and Frankie stepped out of it.

'Hey Jane, Dr Isles,' Korsak greeted them. Frost and Frankie each held small, black, wireless microphones that would discretely clip onto the inside of Jane and Maura's dresses. Jane didn't hesitate to take hers from Frost and reach back to clip it into the back of the dress herself. Maura took hers from Frankie, and Jane and the three men watched with amused expressions as she tried to do the same as Jane. Korsak raised his eyebrows, and Frost lifted his hand to cover his smile.

'There, that's it,' Maura stated as she looked around at them with a goofy grin, evidently pleased with herself. Jane looked at her and nodded her head.

'Let's go find Graham Saunders,' Jane began.

'We've got access to pretty much anything in that building… CCTV, electricity, you name it. You're covered,' Frost explained.

'Here's your entrance pass, it'll get you both in,' Korsak added as he passed a ticket to Jane.

'This says it's for a couple…?' Jane questioned.

'We have a budget you know!' Korsak retaliated.

Jane and Maura nodded their understanding before walking together towards the building.

'Come on, babe,' Maura teased.

'Really Maura?'

Maura laughed and walked the rest of the short distance looking at the architecture.

Maura stood next to Jane when they reached the entrance. Every man there was wearing a tailored tuxedo, and every woman an elegant and classy dress.

'Can I see your ticket please?' one member of staff asked them at the door. Jane passed it to him and waited. 'Are you here together?' he checked.

Maura leant into Jane's side and linked their arms, but as she couldn't lie, Jane gave a small nod.

'Ok, enjoy your evening,' the man said as he opened the door for the two women.

The inside of the building was even grander than the outside. The dark wooden dance-floor had couples swaying on it, and it was surrounded by tables with guests sat at them. Tapestry and Victorian style wallpaper covered the walls, and a chandelier hung from the centre of the high ceiling.

Once inside, Jane and Maura worked their way through the guests to the side of the dance-floor, where they could talk before starting their search for Graham Saunders.

'Look Jane!'

'What, have you spotted him already?!'

'No… I meant the dance-floor. Look at how big it is!' Maura eagerly pointed.

Jane looked at the floor and then back at Maura with a blank expression. 'Fascinating. Now let's get back to work,' Jane remained focussed. 'If we split up we might stand a better chance of finding him.'

Maura nodded and went to walk straight onto the dance-floor before Jane caught her arm.

'Nice try,' Jane smirked.

After having no luck one hour later, they met back up to eat. They sat at a table for two, and Jane noticed Maura persistently glancing at the dance-floor while they ate.

'I'll take your plate back with mine, you wait here,' Jane announced as she stood up.

'But Jane, the waiters will do that for you.'

'Yeah well, Graham Saunders could _be_ one of the waiters for all we know. Got to keep our eyes open.'

Maura nodded and passed her plate up to Jane. 'Thanks.'

Jane took the plates to an empty table and left them there before discretely unclipping her microphone and glancing back across at Maura, who was now swirling the wine in her glass.

'Hey Frost, can you hear me?' she asked.

'Jane, what is it?'

'Can you hack into the sound system in here?'

'Working on it now. Why, do you think that Saunders is using it to communicate with someone?'

'What? Oh, no. I need you to put a song on for me. An instrumental version of Beautiful Day if you can find it.'

After hearing the guys laugh Jane sighed. 'Just, please!'

'Ok Jane, I'm not even gonna ask why. It'll be on next.'

'Good,' Jane finished before quickly turning her microphone off and clipping it back into her dress.

Jane looked back across at Maura and made eye contact with her, so she weaved back through the tables to sit down.

'Is everything ok?' Maura asked.

'Yeah, I was just talking to Frost about the case,' Jane replied. It wasn't a complete lie.

'Anything new on the guy we're looking for?'

'Urm, no. Unfortunately.'

They sat listening to the music as Maura finished her wine. When the song was finished, there was silence for several seconds before the introduction to Beautiful Day filled the room. Jane stared across at Maura, who seemed to be looking for the source of the random change in music.

'May I have this dance?' Jane asked with her hand out stretched across the table.

Maura looked from Jane's hand to her eyes, and her jaw dropped slightly.

'You may,' Maura replied as she placed her left hand into Jane's right.

They stood up together and walked onto the dance-floor to the beat of the music. When they'd reached the centre, Jane pulled Maura into the closed position they'd been in only hours before. Maura wrapped her arm around and rested her hand between Jane's bare shoulder blades, and the skin underneath it seemed to burn. Being closer than necessary didn't bother either of the women, in fact they both seemed surprisingly comfortable with the proximity.

'I didn't expect to hear a symphony orchestra cover of Beautiful Day this evening,' Maura pressed.

'Well, you never know what could happen,' Jane smirked. Maura narrowed her eyes at Jane before smiling knowingly up at her.

A few couples had joined them on the dance floor, and they were swaying to the music. Jane led the dance up until the chorus just like the night before, but then she tipped her head forwards to talk directly into Maura's ear.

'How about we show them how it's really done?' she whispered, feeling more cocky than confident. More than anything though she just wanted to please Maura.

Maura pulled back slightly to search Jane's face before giving an eager nod of agreement. Jane made sure her posture was perfect before she started to stretch her movements, making them both take up the entire floor. Maura looked surprised, and she chuckled when Jane elegantly twirled her around at the bridge of the song. Jane smiled with her as she pulled her in close again. They noticed that a few people had started to watch them.

'I guess teaching me how to dance paid off then,' Jane grinned.

'I didn't teach you how to do that,' Maura replied, almost breathless.

The song ended, and they pulled away when guests sat at nearby tables started to applaud them. Jane gestured for them to walk from the dance floor, and Maura took her arm. Even though Jane knew it was probably just to keep their cover, it still made her smile smugly at the men they passed.

The two found a clear spot at the side of the floor and stood side by side.

'Thank you, Jane,' Maura said quietly. 'I really didn't expect that.'

'Well, I'm full of surprises,' Jane replied in a suave tone.

'You didn't have to do that though, I know how focused on the case you are…'

Jane gently pulled back placed her hand on Maura's arm. 'Well, the guy we're looking for doesn't seem to be here, so we may as well have some fun. You've wanted to dance all night anyway,' Jane pointed out the obvious with a sheepish smile.

Maura let out a light laugh before taking a small step forwards and pulling Jane into a hug. After a moment, Jane pulled back slightly and gave a small smile. Once again their faces were only inches apart, and Maura could've sworn she saw Jane's eyes briefly flicker down towards her lips. As though to confirm it, she copied the action and noticed Jane's pupils seem to dilate. She leaned forwards slightly and repeated the action of looking down to Jane's lips, and Jane tipped her head down a little.

'Well, now that you ladies have had your dance, can you please hurry things along? It's getting cold sitting in this van, you know,' Frost's voice was heard coming from the microphone set on Maura's dress. The two women pulled apart completely and Jane inwardly groaned. _Perfect timing, Frost. Absolutely perfect_ she thought bitterly. The two women looked away at each from each other, Maura turning a light shade of pink. Jane ran her hand through her hair and reached around to turn her own headset back on.

'We'll be right with you,' she said through almost gritted teeth. How could she have forgotten about the CCTV? The guys would have seen the whole thing. Not that she cared. Jane knew her feelings for Maura had been rapidly changing, but now the moment, her chance was gone.

Maura looked up at Jane and their eyes met. Jane gave a small, nervous chuckle, and Maura clasped her hands together and showed a small smile.

'Let's go, the guys are waiting for us,' Jane grumbled. Maura nodded, and the two walked side by side out of the theatre and through the night, back towards the van.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer – I STILL don't own Rizzoli or Isles or have anything to do with the show. No profit is being made from this. _

_A/N – First of, really sorry for the delay, I've not much time to write. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! They all made me smile, and I've tried to take any advice/ comments into consideration. I didn't expect this fic to get nearly as many followers as it has done, so I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying it. If there's any dances you'd like Jane and Maura to try please just let me know, I'll try my best at writing it. Though, I do have a small list of them to work through already! _

Chapter three. 

It had been three days since the team had gone undercover, and though they both continued to think about it, neither Jane nor Maura had mentioned their intimate encounter. Sure, the guys had sniggered and smirked when they'd met back up at the van that evening, but other than that, everything was the same as it usually was. Still having no luck on solving the case, Jane took the elevator down to the morgue to find Maura going over the body for the umpteenth time.

'Hey Maura, you got plans for tonight?' Jane asked.

Maura looked up at Jane. 'Well as it's Friday, I thought that we'd be going to the Dirty Robber for drinks,' she replied after a moment. Jane rested back against the clear slab and nodded.

'If you want to go for drinks that is,' Maura added quietly.

'Well I've been thinking, how about we go somewhere different tonight? Just for a change, you know…'

'Where were you thinking?' Maura asked as she covered the body up and removed her gloves. Jane simply smiled in return and walked back towards the glass doors.

'I'll pick you up around eight. Wear something comfortable!' she called over her shoulder.

'But Jane…' Maura trailed off, as Jane was already around the corner. 'I'm always comfortable,' Maura muttered to herself.

Jane grabbed her jacket as soon as she got back to the bullpen and made her way back out of the door.

'Are you for coming drinks later?' Frost asked from across the room. Jane stopped in her tracks and leaned her hand against the doorframe.

'Uh, no… No, me and Maura are gonna go somewhere else tonight,' Jane explained with a small smile. Noticing the brief exchange of glances between Frost and Korsak she rolled her eyes. 'I'm, I'm taking her dancing, all right?' she continued in a hushed voice.

'Dancing? What kinda dancing? ' Korsak asked, causing Frost to smirk.

Jane huffed. 'Just, if you see Maura don't mention it to her.'

'What do we tell her then?' Frost asked.

'Oh work something out, Frost!' Jane stormed out of the bullpen and to the elevators. It wasn't even the guys joking about her and Maura being together that annoyed Jane. In fact, she secretly loved that idea. It was their sniggering that got to her.

Shortly after Jane had left the morgue Maura collected her things from her office and took the elevator to the bullpen.

'Has Jane already left?' she asked the guys.

'A few minutes ago,' Korsak answered.

'Oh, well I'd best get home to get ready then,' Maura replied.

Korsak glanced across at Frost whose eyes met his with a glint in them.

'Where are you girls going tonight?' Frost casually asked Maura.

'Jane hasn't told me yet, why?'

'No reason,' Korsak quickly responded. Maura's eyebrows creased slightly but then she turned on her heel without giving it a second thought. Frost waited until Maura had disappeared into the elevator before speaking again.

'We _have_ to find out where they go tonight,' he grinned. Korsak simply shook his head and chuckled in response.

Only one hour later Jane pulled up outside of Maura's house. She was pretty much wearing her work clothes, but with a more tailored look. Her trousers clung to her legs, and her maroon shirt was unbuttoned nearly halfway, showing off her tanned neck and white vest top. She rang the doorbell and walked back to lean against the car. Maura stepped out of her house and did a double-take as she looked at Jane and walked to the car. Jane leaning against the car like that with the sun setting behind her made her look like she was in some Hollywood film.

'Hello,' Maura brightly greeted as she hopped into the car.

'Hey,' Jane replied, a small smile tugging at her lips as she joined her. 'You look...' Jane started, thinking twice before saying something too complimentary. Maura wore a similar outfit to Jane, though her shirt was green and didn't appear to have a tank top underneath it. 'Nice. You look nice,' she settled with as she started to drive. Maura smiled warmly at Jane and looked out of the window before curiosity got the better of her.

'Where are we going?' she asked Jane.

'Somewhere different,' Jane repeated with a grin.

'I know that much. You'd have turned right approximately 0.008 miles ago if we were going to the Dirty Robber.'

'Thank you for sharing that fact with me,' Jane tonelessly replied. Maura pulled a face and went back to looking out of the window.

'Fine, if you're not going to tell me,' Maura tried to look like she wasn't really that interested.

'Fine,' Jane repeated. Both women sat in silence before glancing across at each other and laughing.

A few minutes later Jane pulled up and Maura followed her across the street, where the bass line of Billie Jean could be heard coming from one of the bars.

'I like this song,' Maura stated.

'You do?' Jane raised her eyebrows as she replied.

'Don't look so surprised Jane, I have a very diverse taste in music.'

'Then you're gonna love this place.' Jane held the door open for Maura and the two walked inside, Jane giving the occasional nod of her head along to the music as they found two empty seats at the bar.

'What can I get for you ladies?' the bartender asked.

'A glass of white wine please,' Maura smiled. The bartender looked between them and Jane gave a small nod to him as she asked for the coldest beer they had. Maura glanced over her shoulder and watched people dancing with multicoloured spotlights lighting them up.

'I like it here,' Maura stated. 'The atmosphere seems nice.' Jane grinned and took their drinks from the bartender, passing Maura her wine and sipping at her own beer. They talked about the past case as they finished their drinks, and then Jane looked at Maura with an almost mischievous smile.

'What?' Maura asked, searching Jane's face.

'You fancy a dance?'

'What do you have in mind?' she asked with a gleaming smile as she stood up from her stool.

'Let's see what happens.'

The two walked onto the wooden dance floor together as the next song came on, and Wizzard's 'See My Baby Jive' filled the room. Jane and Maura started off dancing on their own but near each other, with their arms up and their torsos twisting in time with their knees lightly dipping to the beat of the music. Both looked across at each other and their grins widens when they made eye contact. Jane stretched her left hand out and Maura took it with her right.

'You want to Jive then?' Maura asked into Jane's ear before taking a small step back. Jane raised her eyebrows and pulled Maura back towards her.

'Seems appropriate,' she replied. Jane felt rather proud of herself for being able to keep up her own dance and still be able to form a sentence with Maura being so close to her again.

Jane and Maura improvised their dance, as they weren't even trying to be serious and get it right. They kept their hands joined and continued their own dances until Jane took hold of Maura's free hand and spun them around. They pushed their backs together and moved their bodies in time at the final chorus, before they turned face to face and shimmied their shoulders towards each other. Jane and Maura laughed and applauded each other as the song ended, and they walked back to their places at the bar. Jane pointed at their empty glasses signalling for refills and then turned on her stool to face Maura.

'That was fun,' she stated. Maura nodded and gave a small chuckle.

'It was,' she agreed. The bartender came back with their drinks and smiled as he passed them over.

'You two look good together, especially out there,' he complimented.

'Oh, we're not together,' Jane quickly pointed out.

'We were while we were dancing,' Maura reasoned.

'But we're not a _couple_. We're just friends,' Jane continued, feeling a sting in her stomach as she said it.

'Close friends,' Maura added, smiling at the fact.

'Best friends, really,' they said almost in unison. The bartender laughed and took their old glasses away.

'Well, if you say so,' he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

The two talked casually while they drank, but decided to leave after they'd finished as they were driving.

'Do you want to head back to mine? We could choose a movie if you want,' Maura offered. Jane thought about it and then nodded with a smile.

'Yeah, I'd like that,' she replied.

Just over twenty minutes later, Jane pulled the car up outside of Maura's house. Once inside, Maura took her seat on the couch, leaving the door open for Jane. By the time Jane had locked the car and walked into the house, she found Maura deep in thought.

'Got something on your mind?' Jane asked, unable to think of a witty way of distracting her.

'Hmm? Uh …what movie do you want to watch?' Maura asked, avoiding the question completely. Jane narrowed her eyes but didn't push it.

'Rush Hour,' Jane grinned, and chuckled at Maura's eye roll. 'How about Johnny English instead then?' she tried again.

'We'll go with Rush Hour,' Maura sighed. Jane put up with her orchestral music and cheesy romantic films, so she'd put up with action films and classic rock music. That's what friends are for, right?

One hour later, Jane and Maura were sat on the couch together watching the movie. Jane occasionally chuckled and pointed at the screen with enthusiasm, but Maura was still thinking. Jane glanced across at her and tilted her head.

'Hey, what's on your mind?' she asked quietly, turning the volume on the TV down. That was something else Maura loved about Jane, how caring she was towards her. How she'd drop everything just to be there for her. Maura snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Jane looking at her and heard the volume change.

'Uh, noth…'

'You don't want hives,' Jane butted in. 'You seem, I dunno, unfocused. Is it the wine?' she continued. Maura gave a small smile and shook her head.

'No, I was just thinking. That bartender isn't the first person to think we're a couple.' Jane wasn't expecting to hear that, but she quickly dismissed the randomness of it. It was Maura she was talking to, after all.

'Well no, we _told_ Giovanni we are,' Jane replied. Maura chuckled at the memory.

'That's different, we were pretending then. Tonight we were just, us…'

'Does it bug you that he thought we're together?' Jane asked, almost holding her breath as she waited for a reply.

'No of course it doesn't!' When Maura said that Jane let out a breath and raised her eyebrows, almost in hope. 'We're best friends,' Maura added, making the butterflies in Jane's chest sink away.

'Yeah, yeah we are,' Jane murmured softly, almost sadly.

'I feel better now we've spoken about that,' Maura stated. But there was so much more she could say.

'Good. You're a good dancer by the way,' Jane smiled.

'You're not so bad yourself,' Maura replied, causing them both to grin. The moment was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

_AN – Hey everyone, I'm so sorry for the late reply! I'm back in school/college now so I'm writing whenever I get the chance to, and chapters will likely be posted on Fridays if not before. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, I really love reading them! Didn't expect this fic to get so many followers, and I'm pretty amazed as it's my first one. I'm looking for opportunities to make this Rizzles, maybe in Ch5, who knows? ;) This hasn't been checked by my beta as I wanted to get it up as soon as possible for you all, so I'll update/change it tomorrow. Anyway, the main reason for this note is to tell you about the Twitter account we made to go with this one. We'll post when there's gonna be an update, a delay or a new story posted. Please, give us a follow (: FandomShips_

_Disclaimer – I don't still don't own Rizzoli OR Isles or anything to do with them, wish I did. No profit being made, you know the rest. I also have nothing to do with any songs/lyrics/artists mentioned. Again, wish I did. _

Chapter four.

A week went by before Jane, Maura and the guys had a free evening to go out again. With them all taking work home they had little free time, which was why they were thankful when their suspect just admitted he was guilty. Jane sat at her desk with her head buried in her hands while Frost threw balled up paper at Korsak. She heard the elevator doors open and the familiar click of designer heels crossing the bullpen, before she felt the gentle hand on her shoulder that sent shivers up her spine. Maura had joined them.

Jane's back straightened before she sat back in her chair and looked up at Maura. 'Hi,' she greeted.

'Hey.'

'I thought you'd go straight home tonight.'

'Well, I was actually wondering if you'd fancy going to Crown with me this evening?' Maura asked with an eager, gleaming smile.

'Crown?' Jane asked, looking around at Frost and Korsak.

'Go Jane, it's _mint_!' Frost joined in, causing Maura to look slightly confused.

'Mint is good,' Jane elaborated with an eye roll. The excited look came back to Maura's face as she nodded in agreement.

'I've been looking into it, and most people who've been have said it's very friendly and it has a wide variety in music,' she explained. Jane looked around at the two men again for confirmation. Frost was giving her thumbs up while Korsak simply laughed. 'Would you like to go, Detective Frost?' Maura asked.

'You don't have to persuade me, I'm in. C'mon Jane, it'll be fun,' Frost replied. Jane nodded her head and slowly stood up.

'Ok, ok fine! Korsak, you joining us?' Jane asked.

'Think I'll stick to the Robber, thanks anyway. Ask Frankie instead,' Korsak suggested.

'I'll get him and meet you two there later,' Frost stated as he called for the elevator.

'I'll drop Jane off at hers and then go home to get changed,' Maura added to the plan.

'Then I'll come pick you up when I'm ready,' Jane finished.

Just over half an hour later Jane left her apartment to pick Maura up. She'd have been comfortable enough in her work clothes, but not wanting to smell like a morgue or the coffee scent from the bullpen, she changed her black shirt to a blue one and let her wild hair down from its ponytail before she left. Jane pulled up outside of Maura's house and smiled as she saw Maura already waiting outside for her. She leant across and opened the door for her, and took in what she was wearing while Maura pulled the car door closed. Maura was wearing a bronze low cut shirt that she'd no doubt bought with a place like Crown in mind, with a burgundy red pencil skirt that showed of her toned calves.

'Jane, are you ok?' Maura questioned, causing Jane to blink and tighten her hold on the steering wheel.

'Yeah, I'm great. Are you?' Jane quickly responded, pulling out of the parking space and being sure to keep her concentration on the road.

'You appeared to be staring intently,' Maura stated bluntly, ignoring Jane's return question. Jane's mouth fell slightly open, but she cleared her throat and quickly closed it again.

'I, I did?'

'Yes… I'm not sure what at though,' Maura added, trying not to smile when she heard Jane let out a shaky, almost relieved breath. 'You know the way there?'

'I'm sure I can work it out,' Jane replied, thankful for the change in subject.

'Well Frost and your brother will be waiting for us if you get us lost, take a right at these lights.' Jane complied and followed the rest of Maura's directions in silence. 'Maur, where is this place?' Jane asked after a while.

'You are so impatient! This is a one way road with a wall at the end of it, so somewhere around here,'

'Was that an attempt at _sarcasm_, Dr Isles?' Jane feigned shock.

'It might've been. Pull up here.' Jane took in the building as she parked the car outside of it and stepped out. Maura walked around the car to her side as they both spotted Frost and Frankie walking towards them.

'Hey Janie, Maura,' Frankie greeted the two.

'Jane, Dr Isles,' Frost copied him.

'Gentlemen,' Maura smiled, causing Jane to pull a face and the men to proudly nudge each other. Getting straight to the point, Jane briefly turned and led the way to the entrance.

'Yeah hey, let's get inside,' she called over her shoulder.

Maura narrowed her eyes in disapproval at Jane's back, but then softened her gaze again before following her into the club. Frost and Frankie shared a glance before shrugging and walking after the women. The club had coloured spotlights that lit up the dance floor which was packed with people, and small booths that went around the edge of it. Jane found an empty one and signalled for the others to join her before she slid into one of the two seats. Frost sat opposite her and was joined by Frankie, leaving Maura to shimmy in next to Jane. A few waiters were strolling around, and Frankie raised his hand to call for drinks. After two walked straight past him, Jane rolled her eyes and reached over Maura, tapping one of them on the arm.

'We'll have three Miller's beers and a glass of your best red wine please,' Jane snarled.

'Actually, make that four beers and no wine,' Maura spoke up, causing Jane to look slightly surprised and give a small smile. The waiter gave a tight nod and stiffly walked away.

'Ah come on Jane, someone would've come over to us eventually,' Frankie huffed.

'Exactly, _eventually_. I'm thirsty now so I want my drink now, not when the waiters decide to do their jobs,' Jane replied, making Frost chuckle. The drinks arrived a few minutes later, and the four chatted about work and how Angela was still pestering Jane and Frankie about settling down. Maura seemed to become distant from the conversation, and Jane looked across at her with a discrete questioning look. Maura set her beer down and stood up. 'I fancy a dance, anyone want to join me?'

'No sir,' Frankie shook his head.

'No dancing today,' Frost smiled sheepishly when Jane rolled her eyes at them.

'Are you going to continue to talk in song lyrics?' she asked them tonelessly.

'I find nothin' better to do,' Frost continued with a playful smile. Jane shook her head and looked back to Maura.

'Maybe later.'

Jane watched Maura walk onto the dance floor alone, and took a long drink of her beer when she saw a definite swing of her hips.

'Something catch your eye, Rizzoli?' Frost sniggered.

'Hey shut up, Frost,' Jane snapped. _She does look amazing_, she thought.

'She didn't deny it,' Frankie reasoned, nudging Frost. Jane tried to make small talk with the two men got difficult as Jane became more and more distracted by Maura dancing in the corner of her eye.

'I uh… I…' Jane tried to start a sentence, but couldn't tear her eyes away from Maura. That's when she noticed a guy going up to Maura's side and standing too close for Jane's liking, tapping her on the shoulder. Maura spun around and gave him a small smile of recognition before she took a step away and continued to dance on her own. Jane relaxed a little, taking a sip of her beer before glancing back over to the dance floor. Her jaw clenched when she saw the guy close the new distance between himself and Maura, swaying against her. The women's eyes met, Maura's a little wider than usual. They spoke without words.

'Excuse me,' Jane almost growled to Frankie and Frost as she stood up, suddenly over come with what felt like jealousy. No, it couldn't be _jealousy_. Could it…? Even if it was, she was just helping Maura out here. Jane walked with confidence, almost stalking, until she was close enough to tap the guy on the shoulder. Which she did do, and not gently, before stepping between him and Maura. Even though Maura was more than capable of handling the situation herself, she couldn't help but smirk at how protective Jane was being over her.

'You ok, babe?' Jane asked Maura.

'I am now,' Maura beamed in return, snaking her arm around Jane's waist and gently tugging her closer.

'Wait, are you two… uh…?' the guy pointed between the two women.

'Are we what?' Jane asked him, eyebrows raised as she folded her arm around Maura's shoulders.

'…Together, are you together?' he stuttered. Jane looked down at Maura and met her gaze, before slowly nodding her head without breaking eye contact.

'Yeah, we are,' she almost whispered. There was no way the guy would have heard over the volume of I Gotta Feelin' but he took the hint and scurried away anyway. Jane and Maura however stood frozen together, their eyes searching each other's faces.

'Whoot, woo!'

The two women spun around to find Frost and Frankie staring at them, practically hanging from the booth.

'Dammit,' Jane muttered under her breath, shooting the two men a dark glare. Maura looked up to her and offered a small smile, though Jane could've sworn that she saw a shadow of disappointment. Maybe she was just imagining it…

Jane was brought out of her thoughts when the introduction to Enrique's I like It took over, and she felt Maura eagerly tapping her on the arm.

'Ooh, I love this song! Will you dance with me seeing as you're out here?' Jane found it difficult to say no to Maura anyway, but when she looked this happy it was impossible. She looked up and saw Frost and Frankie casually talking before she nodded her head.

'Yeah, yeah I think I might.' Jane grinned as she put her arms above her head and more or less copied Maura's moves for most of the song. They were both singing along but couldn't be heard over the volume of the club. Maura stepped towards Jane and took hold of her hands, so Jane spun them both around and they simultaneously shimmied towards each other. Taking a chance, Maura wrapped both of her arms around Jane's waist and leaned in closer than ever. She looked straight into Jane's eyes, as though asking if it was ok with her. Jane didn't hesitate in pulling Maura up against her, looking right back at her before leaning down to rest her forehead against Maura's shoulder and turning her neck to face Maura's. The heat of the club mixed with the intoxicating sweetness of Maura's perfume was almost too much for Jane. Maura sub-consciously lifted her head up so that her chin was in the crook of Jane's neck, and she continued to sing along, even with the Spanish lyrics which caused Jane to chuckle. Maura pulled away at the bridge of the song, before grabbing hold of the loose collar on Jane's shirt and using it to propel them back together.

To Jane the room was spinning, and she concentrated on keeping her hands around Maura without them shaking too much, while trying not to collapse in the meantime. Maura's eyes dropped from Jane's to her lips before she forced herself to look up again. Jane's breath caught in her throat, as she slowly started to close the inches between herself and Maura. Maura was suddenly dizzy, and the next thing she felt was a blow to the side and the sense of falling. Jane caught her own balance after also being pushed by drunken dancers, and instinctively caught Maura. Her stomach churned with anger towards the dancers and her protectiveness kicked in again. After checking that Maura was ok and glaring at the dancers who probably couldn't care less, Jane led them both back to the booth. The four sat in relative silence and finished their drinks from earlier, before realising how late it was and leaving the club together.

'See you three on Monday,' Frost waved as he reached his car. It was a short journey and he'd only had one beer, so he was safe to drive. It meant that Frankie had no way home though, so he agreed to stay at Jane's. Jane drove her, Frankie and Maura back to her apartment and they all piled in, though Maura felt a little unsure of whether Jane would want her to stay or not. Once they were in, Frankie instantly lay down on the couch and closed his eyes. Jane shook her head at him and walked straight through to her bedroom, returning a moment later to see where Maura was.

'Are you gonna stand there staring at my brother all night?' Jane asked with a tired smile.

'I wasn't… you know what, never mind.' Maura quickly followed Jane. When Maura entered the bedroom, the door to the on-suite bathroom was slightly ajar, and so she took the opportunity to find one of Jane's t-shirts and a pair of yoga pants and quickly change into them. When Jane left the bathroom wearing almost the exact same as Maura, she couldn't help but grin. They flicked the switch on the bedside lamps and lay down next to each other, thinking in silence for what seemed like hours.

'Maur,' Jane began, thinking that her friend was asleep when there was no reply. 'Maura?' she tried again, turning her head to look across in the darkness.

'Jane, that man at the club was at least the third person to think you and I a couple,' Maura whispered.

'…Is that a problem?'

'No! No, I just think that…I'm wondering if… what, ' Maura stuttered.

'Wondering if what?' Jane gently encouraged. Maura also turned her head to look at the slim outline of Jane. She thought briefly about everything that could happen if she said the wrong thing.

'It can wait until tomorrow, when we're both more awake,' Maura settled on, giving a smile that made her teeth seem to glow in the dark. She moved her hand into the middle of the bed and found Jane's already there. She squeezed it lightly which made Jane silently agree to not push the subject further. Instead, Jane settled back again and closed her eyes. Maura smiled when she realised Jane was asleep, and she quietly settled before slowly falling asleep herself.


End file.
